Improvement in toy detonators



W. H. REIPF. To yDetonaisorwfI No. 215,543.. Pa-tente'dmay 20,1879.

ATTOKN EY.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM H. BEIFF, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOY DETONATORS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 2`l5,543, dated May 20, 1879; application filed April 15, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, WILLIAM H. REIFF, of the city and coun ty ot' Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful improvelnent-a'Toy Bomb and Alarmwhich improvement is fully set forth in the folmer, which, guided thereon, is adapted to explode the charge of the barrel when the latter strikes an object against which it is directed, whereby a toy bomb or alarm is produced.

Referring to the drawings, A represents the barrel, consisting of a head or block of metal, formed with a bore, a, and a vent, b, leading` out at the side of the head.

From the barrel, at what may be termed the breech,7 thereprojects a guide or stem, B, on which is fitted a sliding hammer, C, having a central opening to receive said stem, the inner face ofthe hammer being of the coutour of the adjacent face of the barrel; and attached to the stem is a cord or wire, for purposes of suspension and operation of the device, the normal position of .the barrel being vertical.

The barrel is loaded with a cartridge or powder and wad, the hammer drawn back from the barrel, a paper cap, Wafer, or other fulminate placed over the vent b, and the hammer restored against the barrel, the hammer thus resting against and holding the fulminate in position. Y

The device as charged is now ready for service. It may be let go from the hand and dropped as a toy bomb on the floor, pavement, or other sufficiently hard substance, and as the barrel strikes the same the concussion between the barrel and hammer, either by the sudden arrest of the barrel or inertia of the hammer, explodes the fulminate and discharges the barrel. The same result is produced by suspending the device in proximity to a door or shutter, so that when the latter is opened the former is released and drops on the floor, whereby an alarm is sounded.

The barrel may also be discharged at night, the report being utilized as a signal for an officer, help, 85o., or as means of frightening cats and other disturbing animals.

The bore of the barrel opens downward, and the vent is at the side, whereby when the vbarrel strikes the object the tire is preventedflashing laterally; and as the hammer overhangs the vent, the fire from the latter is coveredby the hammer, whereby there is no liability of injuring surrounding objects, and no danger of ying pieces of the wad and cap. The hammer retains its position by gravity, and thus also holds the 'fulminate over the vent of the barrel.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new,.and desre to Vsecure by Letters Patent, isl 1. The barrel having a bore, a, opening downward, and a vent, b, at its side, in combination with a gravitating-hammer, C, fitted on the barrel and overhanging said vent, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The barrel A, with stem B, and the slidinghammer G, combinedand arranged to operate substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WiLLLAM H. REIFF.

Witnesses JOHN A. WIEDERSHEIM, JNO. A. BELL. 

